


Because I Love You

by prosaicwonder



Category: Beyblade, ベイブレードバースト | Beyblade Burst (Anime)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Canon Compliant, Childhood Friends, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Spoilers, Two Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-25
Updated: 2016-08-25
Packaged: 2018-08-11 00:45:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7868548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prosaicwonder/pseuds/prosaicwonder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It felt like Shu was drifting further away from him each day. And it hurt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Warmth

**Author's Note:**

> I finally caved and wrote Beyburst fanfiction. This part is mainly from Valt's POV and the second part will be from Shu's POV.  
> 

"Stupid, stupid stupid stupid!!" Valt shouted as he smacked his pillow with both fists.

 

Valt had run home after school in record speed and fell onto his bed, after he had announced that he was back and had taken off his shoes. He couldn't forget what happened earlier, could not forgive himself for staying still and not doing anything after waiting for years to hear those simple words...

 

"Stupid Shu," Valt murmured into his pillow. "Why did you have to leave...?"

 

* * *

 

Valt never thought that this would happen. 

 

For as long as the two of them knew each other, he and Shu Kurenai had been attached at the hip. Whenever they were together, Valt was constantly surrounded in warmth: not too hot or cold. It was a good feeling.

 

Over the past few months, Shu had been acting strange for a while - Valt couldn't pinpoint exactly when it started, but something felt off ever since their last battle in the Beigoma City regional tournament.

 

Lately, they hadn't been meeting each other as often at school. Valt was surprised to find out that Shu had not been practicing Beyblade on the rooftop as usual; he was never there to have lunch with during breaks either. When he asked the Bey Club about his best friend’s whereabouts, none of them could give him a proper answer. The only time Valt could really see him was during classes, when they sat next to each other as usual. 

 

Shu wasn't the type to give excuses or lie, but Valt knew from years of being close to him that the other boy never asked for help with anything, and would push people away before they found out what was troubling him. Valt began to subconsciously notice little things, like how Shu would avoid his gaze when they talked, how he would excuse himself to go somewhere whenever they were alone together, how he sometimes just smiled faintly and said nothing, sometimes with this pained look on his face... 

 

Valt had heard later from some classmates that Shu was practicing even harder for the next national tournament, and that he was doing this in secret without telling anyone where he was or when he was practicing. Lately the practice hours had gotten longer and more rigorous; there were even rumours that some of the bey dishes had been destroyed during practices.

 

And then last week, Shu arrived at school with several cuts and bruises across his face and arms, and he had wordlessly sat down in the seat across from Valt's without so much as a greeting.

 

It felt like Shu was drifting further away from him each day.

 

And it hurt.

 

* * *

 

"Shu, what's going on?" Valt demanded. 

 

It was already late afternoon and Valt had cornered his childhood friend in the locker room when most of the other kids had already gone home. Rantarou had wanted to go home together but Valt told the blonde to go ahead without him, saying that he wanted to "sort things out with that stubborn jerk".

 

It hurt that Valt had to resort to such antics to even get the other boy to stay in the same room as him, and that his best friend since just about forever wouldn't even look at him. 

 

"Nothing," Shu replied curtly as he closed his eyes.

 

"Don't joke with me. I know you've been acting weird lately, going home without me and avoiding me like I did something horrible to you." Valt said. He wanted to cry but he couldn't - not now.

 

"It doesn't matter. You don't need to be worried about something like that." Shu replied.

 

"It doesn't matter," Valt echoed lowly, trembling as his hands balled into fists so hard that the knuckles turned white. "Just who do you think I am...?"

 

Shu did not respond as he opened his eyes to look down at the shorter boy.

 

"Do you know how damn worried I've been?!" Valt shouted. "I'm not stupid, Shu. I've seen the marks on your skin lately. Why have you been training so much? The next tournament is only in six months!!"

 

"It's clear that you're not just training for the sake of winning now," Valt continued. "Because you're trying to distract yourself from whatever's bothering you, and you're pushing people away again before they can help. It pisses me _off_!!"

 

Not receiving a response, Valt continued, this time in a quieter tone. "You don't have to tell me what's wrong, but if you're upset because of something I did... I'm so, _so_ sorry. The last thing I want is for you to hate me, Shu..." Valt whispered shakily. He was horrified when his eyesight blurred and - oh _God_ , what was that sound that just echoed in the room? Surely he wasn't... oh but he _was_...

 

Somehow the silence turned to sobs, and within seconds Valt found himself collapsed on the floor and desperately wiping at the liquid that just wouldn't stop dripping down. Everything hurt, inside and out, and he was _tired_ \- tired of being pushed away, tired of feeling cold and empty and-

 

"Valt... I could never hate you." Shu said quietly, making the other boy's breath hitch.

 

"You... you don't...?" Valt asked tearfully.

 

A small smile spread across Shu's face as he knelt down to wipe some of the tears off the other boy's face with his thumbs. "I couldn't... you're too important to me." he repeated softly.

 

Valt's face burned at the contact and he sniffed before finally grinning weakly. "I'm so glad..."

 

Shu smiled back, his right thumb gently tracing over the boy's red face mark. "I'm sorry, Valt, for making you worry..."

 

"It's okay," Valt replied with a sniff. "But... why?"

 

Shu remained silent, his hand never leaving Valt's face. They stayed still for several minutes, sitting on their knees in front of each other, before Shu closed the gap and wrapped his arms around the smaller boy. 

 

Another few minutes passed, and neither boy dared to do anything to break the silence. That familiar feeling Valt had of being surrounded by warmth returned, but somehow this feeling was different: brighter... newer, even.

 

As they remained in the same position, that moment had gradually been ingrained into Valt's mind. Later at home he'd remember the strands of silvery-white hair that tickled his jaw, the familiar arms around his waist, the feeling of the other boy's chin nestled on his shoulder like a perfect puzzle piece, and the warmth that ghosted over the side of his neck as the words were whispered faintly:

 

“Because I love you. I’m sorry.”

 

And then Valt would also remember the moment Shu had pushed himself off and walked out of his sight, leaving him speechless and frozen in place.


	2. Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shu often wondered what would've happened if he had never met Valt.

Shu sighed as he flipped the noodles in the saucepan, watching the red sauce sizzle and coat the strands evenly. Somehow he ended up making one of Valt's favourite dishes tonight: Spaghetti Napoletana.

 

Shu shook his head. He didn’t want to be thinking about the other boy now, especially after what had happened earlier.

 

_"I love you. I'm sorry."_

 

Why did he have to go and say that...?

 

A part of him was relieved: after all, he had loved Valt Aoi since they were both in kindergarten. By now, Shu knew the difference of love and being 'in love'. He loved Valt as a friend since they were kids, but then he gradually fell in love with his childhood friend over the years.

 

They had shared everything together, so when Shu had received Storm Spriggan as a 10-year-old, there was no doubt as to who his first-ever opponent was going to be. After his loss to the other boy, Shu did everything he could to make sure that he would never lose to anyone else again. Even in Valt's first regional tournament, they promised to be together in the finals, and - while Shu was definitely happy with the outcome of the battle - what made him happier was knowing that the two of them were near-equal in strength.

 

Shu had seen the look of sheer joy and admiration on his best friend's face, when the outcome of the battle between him and Wakiya Komurasaki had been announced. That day, something new had ignited within him, and the usual warm and tingly feeling he had whenever he was around his childhood friend grew to become a constantly-burning flame.

 

'Remember what I told you before,' Shu thought. 'I did it all for you, Valt. It all starts and ends with you.'

 

As Shu stirred the sauce with the pasta, his thoughts drifted to what was going on lately. His parents were away from home again. Shu had gotten used to them being out of the house; it happened so often now that it felt as if he was living alone. He was used to coming home to a dark and empty apartment.

 

Shu often wondered what would've happened if he had never met Valt. Maybe he would've been alone forever…

 

Suddenly, the handle of the saucepan slipped out of his grip and clattered loudly as it fell onto the other side of the stove. A large blob of sauce darted out and landed on the white fabric of his apron.

 

Shu scowled as he moved the saucepan back to its original place, frowning in displeasure at the orangey-red stain on the fabric. He turned the stove off and took out a glass plate from the cupboard, dishing up a bit of the pasta for himself before covering the rest with a lid. He then took off his apron before bringing it to the bathroom to clean.

 

'There's no way I can face him tomorrow,' Shu thought as he placed the dirty apron into the soapy water to clean. 'After what I said, maybe he needs time alone to think.'

 

Shu winced slightly as he wiped the water off his arms with a towel. The cuts got a week ago from practicing too hard had healed already, but the bruises were still painful to touch. He knew he should probably practice less, but there were so many reasons why he couldn't do that. He couldn't afford to slack off now; even if he had ample time to prepare for the next tournament, he had to keep getting stronger. That, and he wanted to see _that_ look on Valt's face again.

 

'This is bad...' Shu thought before getting up and walking out the bathroom to hang up the apron. 

 

By the time he was done, the plate of spaghetti was nearly ice-cold. Shu packed his plate of food and the rest of the pasta away for the next day before retreating to his room.

 

* * *

 

Bang!! Bang!! Bang!! Bang!!

 

Shu sighed again as he got up to walk towards the front door. 

 

After he had washed the apron and hung it to dry, it had begun to rain heavily. Shu had taken a shower and changed into his long-sleeved pyjamas; now it was almost ten p.m. and he just wanted to be alone. It was freezing inside the apartment, but he could only imagine that it was worse outside. 

 

After years of visits together, Shu had no doubts as to who was behind the door.

 

'Valt,' Shu thought in irritation. 'What is he doing here?'

 

"Shuuuu-!!" Valt's usual loud voice was nearly drowned out by the sound of the pouring rain outside the apartment. "Shu-!! I tried calling you and you didn't answer! Please Shu, I need to speak to y-"

 

"Quiet, you're going to disturb the neighbours." Shu hissed as he opened the door. He left it completely open and watched as the other boy stared at him in surprise.

 

"You're soaked," Shu stated bluntly.

 

"That's 'cause I... because..." Valt stammered as droplets of water fell onto the floor from his hair and clothes.

 

"Come in, I'll get you a towel." Shu said before rushing off and leaving Valt in a daze.

 

"That idiot..." Shu muttered under his breath when he was out of his friend's eyesight. "What if he gets sick?!"

 

Realising that he was stalling, Shu quickly went to retrieve the towel for his friend. Within seconds, he was back at the front door. 

 

"Why are you still standing there? Come on." Shu said as he handed the towel over.

 

"Oh! Thank you..." Valt mumbled and dried himself off. 

 

Valt held the now-wet towel in his hands and peeked at his childhood friend. To Valt, Shu still seemed to be acting strangely even when he was in his own home. Maybe it was because of what Shu said earlier, that he loved Valt...

 

 _But then, why did he apologise_...?

 

Valt's cheeks flushed at the thought. Hearing that confession made him feel as if he had won the biggest and most difficult beybattle of his life, and - as cheesy as it sounded - as if a thousand Valkyries were performing the Rush Shoot within him.

 

"Well, I'm sure you didn't come here just to stare at me." Shu said, breaking the silence. "You'll have to wear some of my clothes for now until yours are completely dry. In the meantime, you can use the shower."

 

Shu walked off leaving the other boy alone yet again. Valt closed the front door and made his way to the bathroom, hugging the damp towel tightly against his chest.

 

* * *

 

Several minutes later, Shu was back in his own room. He had left a change of clothes in the bathroom for the other boy, who was busy taking a shower. Valkyrie and Spriggan lay next to each other on top of Shu's desk.

 

'Why did Valt have to come now?' Shu thought. 'He doesn't seem to hate me... though he has been acting strange too. Maybe he really is clueless after all and doesn't know why I said it... or maybe, he might even feel the same way?'

 

Much to his horror, Shu felt his cheeks heat up at the thought. Wordlessly, he reached a hand up to cover his mouth.

 

'This is really bad,' Shu thought. 'I can't jump to conclusions like this. At this rate I'm going to...'

 

"Shu! I'm done!" Valt's usual energetic voice came from the doorway.

 

Shu froze, his hand slipping off his face and dropping down to his side. Slowly, he turned his head to see Valt standing in the doorway. His usual blue spiky hair was damp and fluffy from the shower and his usually-pulled-back bangs hung limply over his forehead. He had one of Shu's long-sleeved sweaters on with a pair of loose black pants. In his one hand, Valt was holding the yellow plastic headband he always wore. It wasn't the first time Valt was wearing his clothes, but somehow this time was different. Why did Valt have to be so damn cute?

 

Clearing his throat and turning fully towards the other, Shu managed to regain his composure. "Come in."

 

Valt beamed at him as he walked into the room. After placing the headband down next to their beys, he sat down on the edge of Shu's bed and patted the spot next to him. Reluctantly, Shu walked over and sat down next to the other boy.

 

"I called your mom while you were in the shower," Shu said. "She said it's fine for you to stay the night."

 

"Really?!" Valt exclaimed with starry eyes. "Thank you, Shu!"

 

Shu smiled softly at seeing his friend's happiness. "So, what is it?" He asked Valt. He turned to look at the other boy worriedly when he received no response.

 

"Valt...?"

 

"Shu, you told me once that I shouldn't decide things for you, right?" Valt asked quietly, his eyes squeezed tightly shut and a dark blush spread over his cheeks. 

 

"Yeah," Shu replied. Valt turned to face him, his eyes bright with determination.

 

"Actually, there's a reason why I am mentioning this now. I'd like for you to do the same for me, okay?" Valt said.

 

Shu looked down at him in confusion, but nodded anyway. "Okay, got it."

 

Valt blushed and looked down at his hands. "So, about what you said at school earlier, um... what would you say if - _if_ ... I told you I loved you back?" Valt asked tentatively.

 

Shu froze at the words, unable to respond.

 

"I-I was so mad earlier!" Valt blurted out. "When you left so suddenly after saying _that_..."

 

Suddenly he leapt forward and flung his arms around the other boy, eliciting a quiet gasp from him. Valt squeezed his eyes shut as he leaned forward to rest his chin on top of Shu's shoulder.

 

"Is this okay?" Valt near-whispered, trembling at the feeling of their shared warmth. He shivered as he felt a pair of arms wrap around his back.

 

"Yeah." Shu murmured. Desperate to hide the pinkness that spread over his cheeks, he pressed his cheek further against the smaller boy's neck. Despite the rainfall that continued outside the apartment, the only things the two boys could hear was the sound of each other's heartbeats meshed with their own uneven breathing.

 

"Good, 'cause I'm trying to say that I didn't mind it." Valt mumbled. 

 

The conversation lulled into a comfortable silence, and once again, they became aware of the torrential downpour outside. The two boys stayed in the same position for what felt like hours, before Valt spoke again:

 

"Shu... if you think, for even _one moment_ , that I'm going to leave you over something as simple as this, then you don't know me at all!"

 

Valt inhaled deeply before continuing, his pride having been thrown out of the proverbial window long ago.

 

"You have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that." he said, a small smile forming on the corners of his lips. "I was hoping that we could stay in the locker room for a bit longer... but I'm glad I got to see you tonight."

 

"Valt..." Shu whispered into the cold air.

 

Gently Valt pressed a soft kiss onto the exposed skin of Shu's shoulder, making him inhale sharply upon the contact.

 

"I love you too, you big dummy." Valt mumbled into his best friend's shoulder. "Have for years now."

 

Shu was silent for a while, which made the other boy pull away slightly to look up at him in concern. 

 

"Maybe you say you do, but what if it doesn't work out in the long run?" Shu asked. "Do you really want this, Valt, knowing that it could possibly ruin our friendship one day?"

 

Valt grinned up at his childhood friend. "Of course I do, and I won't give up until you agree." 

 

Shu blinked in surprise when he felt another smaller hand cover his own. The other boy planted a soft kiss on the back of his hand before he laced their fingers together and dropping their joined hands down onto the mattress.

 

"Mmm, I'm sleepy..." Valt mumbled as he rubbed his eyes with his free hand.

 

"You can take the bed. I'll sleep on the sofa." Shu told him, a slight blush tinting his cheeks. He let go of the other's hand before he stood up to leave the room, but was stopped by a pair of arms that wrapped around him yet again.

 

"Stay," Valt mumbled into the back of his shirt.

 

Shu was relieved that the other boy couldn't see the look on his face. Wordlessly, he turned back around and took Valt's hands into his own. 

 

Unconsciously Shu leaned forward; a small part of him wondered if Valt had done the same, because the next thing he realised was that their faces were millimeters apart. They both shivered at the feeling of each other's breath on their lips, and they remained frozen in the same spot - not noticing the faint glow of both Beyblades on top of Shu's desk.

 

Suddenly, a loud crash came from outside the window. Neither of the boys knew if it was because of the lightning that had just struck, but an invisible force had pushed them forward at that moment and the gap between them was closed.

 

Both of them clung to each other for support, with Valt's fingers tightly gripping the fabric of Shu's pyjama shirt, and Shu's arms were wrapped around Valt, holding the other boy close to him. Their eyes fluttered shut as another flash of lightning streaked across the blackened sky, across the vast plains inside their minds and over the blackness they saw behind closed eyelids. Shu felt the other boy's bottom lip tremble, and he shifted closer to lean further into the touch, pressing his mouth a bit harder against Valt's in reassurance. The smaller boy's lips met his own with just as much force, however neither of them went further than this. Maybe they would try again another time, but right now this was enough. They were both just happy and relieved to be able to convey their feelings to each other.

 

Soon their lungs burned from the inexperience of holding their breaths in for so long, and both boys both pulled away to gasp for air. Once they had recovered from the kiss, their eyes met again. Valt had shivered upon seeing the look on his best friend's face: from the way Shu's usually ruby-red eyes were a deep garnet from his eyelids being partially closed, to the faint blush that tainted his normally-stoic visage like a stubborn wine stain on cloth, and to the parted lips that were wet and slightly swollen from their shared kiss; the other boy seemed almost vulnerable. On the inside, Valt was giddy with happiness knowing that he was the first and only person to see this side of Shu Kurenai.

 

"So you can make this sort of face..." Valt teased, making the other boy blush and look away. "You're so cute, Shu..."

 

"Don't say such embarrassing things." Shu grumbled.

 

"But why not, it's true~" Valt sing-songed before he moved to turn off the light, leaving both boys enveloped in sudden darkness.

 

"Come on, let's go to sleep." Valt giggled playfully as he pulled his new boyfriend onto the bed, ignoring Shu's protests and throwing the futon over both of them.

 

As the storm continued long into the night, the beys which lay untouched on top of Shu's desk gleamed faintly before fading into the dark.


End file.
